New ACES platforms show how districts can move from expensive, disconnected edtech tools to custom AI solutions built around real educator needs

HAMDEN, Conn., April 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The ACES Center for Artificial Intelligence is advancing a growing suite of AI-powered tools and platforms designed to help schools and districts solve real instructional, operational, and workforce challenges with greater speed, coherence, and cost efficiency.

As districts face rising edtech costs, tighter budgets, and increasing pressure to show return on investment, many school systems are beginning to rethink how technology gets selected, built, and sustained. A recent K-12 Dive article reported that Peninsula School District in Washington expects to save up to $250,000 in canceled edtech contracts by the 2026-27 school year after using AI-assisted software development to build district-created replacements for some existing tools. The article also noted that the district is using AI to create new applications it could not afford through outside vendors. (K-12 Dive)

The ACES Center for Artificial Intelligence is bringing that same practical idea to schools and districts: AI can help education organizations build targeted tools that fit their actual workflows, rather than forcing educators into generic platforms that may be costly, underused, or misaligned.

"Schools do not need more disconnected technology," said Dr. Jessica White, Assistant Director of ACES PDSI and leader of the ACES Center for Artificial Intelligence. "They need solutions that match the work educators are already doing. AI-assisted development allows us to design, test, and scale tools faster, while keeping the focus on responsible use, educator expertise, and student outcomes."

The Center's work reflects a shift in educational technology. Instead of buying one-size-fits-all products, districts can now explore custom AI solutions that address local needs, support district priorities, and reduce long-term dependency on costly subscriptions.

The ACES Center for Artificial Intelligence is already developing tools that show what this model can look like in practice.

ACES Curriculum Creator
The ACES Curriculum Creator is an AI-powered platform that helps educators generate comprehensive, tailored curriculum from a topic, resource, standard, or idea. The tool supports curriculum progressions, KUDs, performance tasks, learning plans, lesson design, and differentiation.

Built for real-world implementation, the platform supports alignment to Universal Design for Learning, Understanding by Design, Connecticut State Department of Education Universal Curriculum Design Principles, Portrait of a Graduate, district vision and mission statements, instructional goals, and local classroom needs.

For districts, this kind of tool can reduce the time and expense tied to fragmented curriculum planning systems, outside consulting, and disconnected lesson design resources. It gives teams a common structure for building curriculum while preserving local context and professional judgment.

ACES AI-Powered Test Preparation Platform
The ACES AI-Powered Test Preparation Platform provides personalized support for future and current educators preparing for Praxis. Participants begin with a diagnostic assessment that drives a personalized, adaptive study experience.

The platform includes personalized pre-assessment, personalized study plans, adaptive practice, progress updates, academic language scaffolds, visual supports, immediate feedback, embedded AI tutoring, on-demand explanations, and optional human guidance.

For districts and educator preparation partners, the platform addresses a workforce problem with a scalable solution. It can support certification, cross-endorsement, educator confidence, and access to targeted preparation without relying only on generic commercial test prep products.

ACES AI Prompt Library for Educators
The ACES AI Prompt Library for Educators is a curated collection of ready-to-use prompts designed to support teaching, learning, and leadership. It helps educators save time, strengthen instructional decision-making, and move from isolated AI use toward coherent, consistent practice across teams and schools. The library includes prompts for lesson design, differentiation, assessment, feedback, communication, and intervention planning.

This resource helps districts build shared expectations around AI use. Rather than leaving each educator to experiment alone, the library gives teams a practical starting point for responsible, standards-aligned AI use.

Together, these tools represent a new model for education technology: custom, AI-assisted, educator-designed, and scalable.

The K-12 Dive article described how AI-assisted software development can help districts examine existing tools, identify "low-hanging fruit," and build secure internal applications that replace or supplement expensive subscriptions. It also emphasized the need for careful vetting, privacy protections, and rigorous evaluation before districts scale AI-built solutions. (K-12 Dive)

ACES is applying that same disciplined approach. The Center focuses on responsible development, clear use cases, educator feedback, privacy-aware design, and measurable value. Its goal is not to add AI for novelty. Its goal is to help schools build tools that make daily work more coherent, efficient, and human-centered.

"AI-assisted development gives education leaders a new kind of leverage," White said. "A district can identify a need, prototype a solution, gather feedback from educators, and refine the tool much faster than traditional procurement cycles often allow. That speed matters, especially when budgets are tight and the needs of students and teachers keep changing."

The release of STEM Century: It Takes a Village to Raise a 21st Century Graduate, ACES Edition adds a broader lens to this work. The book explores how artificial intelligence is transforming educational institutions and the organizations that serve educators, leaders, and students. It examines AI's growing role in direct services, human capital, resource management, and organizational systems.

For ACES, the book reflects the larger story. The Center's tools show that story in motion.

The ACES Center for Artificial Intelligence is helping schools move from AI conversation to AI implementation. Through custom platform development, educator support, professional learning, and district partnerships, ACES is helping education organizations create solutions that are faster to build, easier to align, and more responsive to local needs.

For more information about the ACES Center for Artificial Intelligence, visit acespdsi.org/ai-center.

About the ACES Center for Artificial Intelligence

The ACES Center for Artificial Intelligence supports responsible AI literacy, educator readiness, technology development, and research-informed implementation for schools and communities. Its work includes AI tools, professional learning, pilots, partnerships, and custom solution development for educators and leaders navigating AI in real school settings.

About ACES

Area Cooperative Educational Services supports educators, students, families, and communities through programs and services that include professional development, technology services, direct student services, interdistrict programs, magnet schools, adult and vocational programs, behavior services, occupational and physical therapy, and educator workforce initiatives.

Media Contact
Dr. Jessica White
ACES Center for Artificial Intelligence
(203) 407-4400
412864@email4pr.com
acespdsi.org/ai-center

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SOURCE ACES Center for Artificial Intelligence